The Co-operative Party has been objecting strongly to the proposal
of Socialist municipalities to undertake on tlieir own account the sale of food and other necessaries. The Co-operators point out that this invasion of the distributive trades would cause a duplication of enter-- prise and a resultant waste as well as constant friction between the municipalities and those rate-payers who would be in competition with them. One can understand the indignation of the Co-operative Party as it professes to be practising Socialism on a voluntary basis. When, however, the Party allied itself with the Labour Party some such clash as has now occurred was inevitable. The Co-operators being threatened in their own shops argue like good individualists. It has been suggested that the dispute might be settled by making the Co- operative Societies the exclusive agents of trading munici- palities. But the Co-operative Party could not accept such a solution without being false to its principles.
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